Many hardwired communications systems use plug jack connectors to connect a communications cable to another communications cable or to a piece of equipment such as a computer, printer, server, switch or patch panel. By way of example, high speed communications systems routinely use such plug-jack connectors to connect computers, printers and other devices to local area networks and/or to external networks such as the Internet. FIG. 1 depicts a simplified example of such a hardwired high speed communications system that illustrates how plug-jack connectors may be used to interconnect a computer 1 to, for example, a network server 10.
As shown in FIG. 1, the computer 1 is connected by a cable 2 to a communications jack 5 that is mounted in a mounting opening 11 of a mounting surface (shown as wall plate 9). The cable 2 is a patch cord that includes a communications plug 3, 4 at each end thereof. Typically, the cable 2 includes a plurality of wire conductors (e.g., eight), which are arranged in pairs so that each pair of conductors may carry a separate differential signal. Communications plug 3 inserts into a communications jack (not pictured in FIG. 1) provided in the back of the computer 1. Communications plug 4 inserts into an opening or “plug aperture” 6 in the front side of the communications jack 5 so that the contacts of the communications plug 4 mate with respective contacts of the communications jack 5 (if the cable 2 includes eight conductors, the communications plugs 3, 4 and the communications jack 5 will typically each have eight contacts). The communications jack 5 includes a wire connection assembly 7 at the back end thereof that receives a plurality of conductors (e.g., eight) from a second cable 8 that are individually pressed into slots in the wire connection assembly 7 to establish mechanical and electrical connections between each conductor of the second cable 8 and a respective one of a plurality of conductive paths through the communications jack 5. The other end of the second cable 8 is connected to a network server 10 which may be located, for example, in a telecommunications closet of a commercial office building. Thus, the patch cord 2, the cable 8 and the communications jack 5 provide a plurality of electrical paths (e.g., four differential signal paths) between the computer 1 and the network server 10. Each of these electrical paths may be used to communicate electrical information signals between the computer 1 and the network server 10. It will be appreciated that typically one or more patch panels or switches, along with additional communications cabling, would be included in the electrical path between the second communications cable 8 and the network server 10. However, for ease of description, these additional elements have been omitted from FIG. 1 and the second communications cable 8 is instead shown as being directly connected to the server 10.
In the above example, the jack 5 is shaped and sized to fit within the mounting opening 11. However, mounting surfaces such as wall plates and patch panels may define a variety of differently shaped and sized mounting openings, and a differently shaped and sized jack may be required for proper and secure mounting in each different mounting opening. For example, a keystone-style mounting opening may be provided instead of the mounting opening 11 illustrated in FIG. 1, and a jack that is configured differently than the jack 5 is required for proper and secure mounting in the keystone-style mounting opening. Unfortunately, the plurality of different mounting openings increases the number of jacks that need to be manufactured and maintained in inventory.
Thus, there is a need for communications jacks that are configured to be mounted within one mounting opening and adaptable to be mounted into at least one other, different mounting opening.